Seat construction

ABSTRACT

A seat construction comprising a frame and a spring assembly embedded in a body of foam plastic material and mounted on the frame. The spring assembly comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending wires at least one of which comprises a plastic cord, a plurality of transversely spaced wires having intermediate portions extending between the spaced wires and free ends extending beyond the longitudinally extending wires at an acute angle to the intermediate portion. The spring assembly further comprises a longitudinal wire along each edge connecting the free ends of said transversely spaced wires. A secondary spring assembly comprising longitudinal and transverse wires is provided along the sides of the spring assembly.

United States Patent Tischler *Apr. 29, 1975 SEAT CONSTRUCTION 3.656.807 4/1972 Arida et a1. 297 452 [75] Inventor: Henry J. Tischler, Bloomfield Hills, Mlch- R26,947 9/1970 om et al. 297/458 x [73] Assignee: Gulf & Western Metals Forming Company, S0uthfield M Primary E.\'aminer-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney, Agent, or FirmBarnes, Kisselle, Raisch & Notice: The portion of the term of this choate patent subsequent to Feb. 1, 1989 has been disclaimed. [22] Filed: Mar. 21, 1973 A seat construction comprising a frame and a spring assembly embedded in a body of foam plastic material [21] Appl' 343227 and mounted on the frame. The spring assembly com- Related US. Application Data prises a plurality of longitudinally extending wires at [63] Continuation-impart of 561'. No. 181,041, Sept. 16, least one of which Comprises a PlastiC Cord, a plurality 1971, Pat. No. 3727980, which i a of transversely spaced wires having intermediate porcontinuation-in-part of Ser. No. 25,832. April 6, tions extending between the spaced wires and free 1970' 1 9 ends extending beyond the longitudinally extending wires at an acute angle to the intermediate portion. [52] US. Cl. 297/452; 5/354; 297/458 Th spring assembly further comprises a longitudinal 1 1 Cl A47c A47C 23/00; 1360" wire along each edge connecting the free ends of said Of Search transversely paced wires A econdary spring assem. 9 5/354 bly comprising longitudinal and transverse wires is provided along the sides of the spring assembly. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures 3.411.824 11/1968 White et a1. 297/458 3,529,866 9/1970 Getz 3.639.002 2/1972 Tischler 297/D1G. l

P/XI'ENTED APR 2 91915 SHEEI 10F 3 SEAT CONSTRUCTION This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 181,041 filed Sept. 16, 1971, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,980, which in turn is a continuation-inpart of application Ser. No. 25,832, filed Apr. 6, 1970, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,639,002, issued Feb. 1, 1972.

This invention relates to seat contruction and particularly to spring seat construction.

Conventional types of seat construction comprise coiled springs, sinuous springs, combinations of coiled and sinuous springs and the like.

In the aforementioned patent application and patent there is provided a novel spring assembly that comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending wires, a plurality of transversely spaced spring wires having intermediate portions, extending between the spaced longitudinal wires, and free ends extending beyond the longitudinally extending wires at an acute angle to the intermediate portions. A longitudinal wire is provided along each side edge connecting the free ends of the transversely spaced wires. Such a construction obviates the need for coiled and sinuous springs in the spring assembly. The spring assembly is preferably embedded in a body of foam plastic material.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide an improved seat construction of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,639,002 and the aforementioned patent application wherein the seat may accommodate and produce varying feel or yield as may be required for particular uses and environments; which seat construction is simple, relatively inexpensive and easily manufactured.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, the seat construction utilizes the spring assembly such as shown in the aforementioned patent application and patent and incorporates as one of the longitudinally extending wires an elastomeric cord which is flexible and can produce varying feel or resiliency in the seat. The seat construction also incorporates a novel mounting configuration for the spring assembly. The seat construction further incorporates a laterally extending spring subassembly that tends to prevent lateral movement of the occupant on the seat.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a part sectional perspective view of a seat embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 in FIG. 3, parts being broken away.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the seat shown in FIG. 1, parts being broken away.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the seat shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the seat shownin FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of the seat.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a further modified form of the seat.

DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1, the seat 10 embodying the invention comprises a seat base or a seat back that may be fixed or pivoted relative to one another by appropriately mounting their frames in accordance with wellknown construction.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the seat 10 comprises a sheet metal frame 11 including a front rail 12, rear rail 13 and side rails 14 made of sheet metal. The seat 10 further comprises a spring assembly 14 that is mounted on the rails 12, 13 as presently described.

Spring assembly 15 comprises spaced longitudinally extending wires 16, I7 and spaced transversely extending wires 18 of oil-tempered spring steel. Wires 18 include intermediate portions 19, the ends of which are wound twice around the wires 16, 117 and extend in a free manner as at 20, 21 at an acute or obtuse angle to the general plane of the intermediate portions 18 (FIG. 3). The free ends of portions 20 are attached by a single loop about additional longitudinally spaced wires 22, 23.

In accordance with the invention, at least one of the longitudinally extending wires 16, 17, 211, 23 is formed of an organic elastomeric material that is flexible and the remaining wires 16, 1'7, 21, 23 are made of steel having a paper wrapping. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the rear wire 23 and lower front wire 16 are formed of an organic elastomeric material and 'is mounted on the frame by engagement of hooks 24 struck outwardly from the rear rail 13 of the frame 12 and engaging the wire 23 intermediate the cross wires 18. In order to effectively lock the free ends of cross wires 18 on the plastic wire 23, each end is bent about the elastomeric wire and then laterally back over the portion 21 and hooked thereon to positively lock the wire and prevent longitudinal slippage between the elastomeric wire and the cross wire (FIG. 5). The end of each wire 18 is preferably bent into a loop portion 25, straight portion 26, straight portion 27 at an angle to portion 26, and a short free end portion 28 at an angle to portion 27 As shown in FIGS. 11 and 3, the spring assembly 15 is suspended on the frame 11 by hooks 35a, 3512 that engage the plastic wires 16, 23 at spaced points between the wires 18.

It has been found that by such an arrangement, the resiliency of the seat at the area where the wire comprises an elastomeric wire is modified producing a greater resiliency and a softer feel as may be required. When used as a wire for attacing the spring assembly on the main frame, it has been found that not only does it provide the desired feel but in addition is sufficiently strong to effectively support the spring assembly without permanent set.

A preferred material which has been found to produce satisfactory results comprises a thermosplastic polyurethane of the polyester base type or polyether base type. A satisfactory material is sold by Stevens Molded Products under the trademark I-Ii-TUFF" formulation MP-l485.

Such a material has the properties of high elongation on the order of 300%, high tensile strength on the order of 5,000 pounds per square inch and is impervious to fluids found in the environment of automobiles such as cleaning fluids, gasoline, oils and water.

An elastomeric wire in place of a paper coated wire may be used at any one or more of the four wires l6, 17, 22, 23 forming a part of the spring assembly as may be desired for a particular feel or resiliency to the seat. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, the wire 17a about which wires 118a are wound comprises an elastomeric wire and the wire 230 comprises a paper covered steel wire. As shown in FIG. 7, the upper front wire 22a comprises a plastic wire and the lower front wire 16a comprises a paper covered steel wire.

In each of the uses, the elastomeric wire comprises a preferably solid cross section which is flexible, has limited resiliency and has minimal set under excessive strain.

Further in accordance with the invention, in order to provide lateral stability to the occupant sitting on the seat, a secondary spring assembly or subassembly 30 is provided and comprises three longitudinally extending wires 31, 32, 33 with a plurality of cross wires 34 of oiltempered steel wound around the central wire 32 and having their ends connected to the wires 31, 33. The portions of cross wires 34 between the center wire 32 and the outer wires '31, 33 are angularly related to one another as shown in. FIGS. 1 and 2. The uppermost wire 33 is fastened to the outermost longitudinally extending wires of the spring assembly as by clips 35, 36. Wires 32, 31 are fastened to portions 19 of wires 18 by clips 37, 38. By this arrangement, the spring assembly 30 when embedded in a core of foam plastic material provides an outer edge support that resists the tendency of the occupant to roll outwardly off of the seat when the car is maneuvering.

The seat further comprises a body 40 in which the spring assembly and spring subassembly 30 are embedded by molding foam plastic material about the spring assembly.

The spring assembly 14 is embedded in the body in such a manner that the intermediate portions 19 are adjacent but spaced from the bottom surface of the body 40.

Further in accordance with the invention, the upholstery fabric 41 is applied to the outer surface of the body 40 and connected to the frame.

As shown in FIG. 1, a seat incorporating the elastomeric wire of the preferred type at the rear has been tested in accordance with the cyclic loading customary with automotive application and effectively supported the seat without detrimental set or loss of resiliency for over 400,000 cycles.

I claim:

1. In a seat construction, a spring assembly comprismg a pair of longitudinally extending wires,

a plurality of transversely extending spaced spring wires,

portions of said transversely extending spaced spring wires being wound around said longitudinally extending wires to define an intermediate portion extending between the spaced longitudinally extending wires and connected thereto and free ends extending beyond the longitudinally extending wires at an acute angle to the intermediate portion,

an additional longitudinally extending wire connecting the free ends of said transversely extending spring wires along each said first-mentioned longitudinally extending wire,

at least one of said longitudinally extending wires comprising an elastomeric material and having a solid cross section.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said elastomeric material comprises polyurethane.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 including a frame comprising spaced rails, at least one of said rails having means thereon interengaging said elastomeric wire. said means comprising hooks on said rails engaging said elastomeric wire.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 including a spring subassembly comprising at least three longitudinally extending wires,

a plurality of transversely extending spaced spring wires,

portions of said transversely extending spaced spring wires being wound around one of said longitudinally extending wires and extending from said one longitudinally extending wire at an angle,

the free ends of said transversely extending spring wires being connected to said other longitudinally extending wires,

means connecting said spring subassembly to said spring assembly with said longitudinally extending wires of said subassembly extending transversely to said longitudinally extending wires of said spring assembly.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein said additional longitudinally extending wires of said spring assembly are connected to one of said longitudinally extending wires of said spring subassembly.

6. The combination set forth in claim 4 including a body of foam plastic material, said spring assembly and said spring subassembly being embedded in said body.

7. In a seat construction, a spring assembly comprisa pair of longitudinally extending wires,

a plurality of transversely extending spaced spring wires,

portions of said transversely extending spaced spring wires being wound around said longitudinally extending wires to define an intermediate portion extending between the spaced longitudinally extending wires and connected thereto and free ends extending beyond the longitudinally extending wires at an acute angle to the intermediate portion,

an additional longitudinally extending wire connecting the free ends of said transversely extending spring wires along each said first-mentioned longitudinally extending wire,

a spring subassembly comprising at least three longitudinally extending wires,

a plurality of transversely extending spaced spring wires,

portions of said transversely extending spaced spring wires being wound around one of said longitudinally extending wires and extending from said one longitudinally extending wire at an angle,

the free ends of said transversely extending spring wires being connected to said other longitudinally extending wires,

means connecting said spring subassembly to said spring assembly with said longitudinally extending wires of said subassembly extending transversely to said longitudinally extending wires of said spring assembly. I

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 including a body of foam plastic material, said spring assembly and said spring subassembly being embedded in said body.

9. In a spring assembly, the combination comprising at least three longitudinally extending wires,

a plurality of transversely extending spaced spring wires,

least one of said wires comprises elastomeric material and has a solid cross section.

11. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein said elastomeric material comprises polyurethane. 

1. In a seat construction, a spring assembly comprising a pair of longitudinally extending wires, a plurality of transversely extending spaced spring wires, portions of said transversely extending spaced spring wires being wound around said longitudinally extending wires to define an intermediate portion extending between the spaced longitudinally extending wires and connected thereto and free ends extending beyond the longitudinally extending wires at an acute angle to the intermediate portion, an additional longitudinally extending wire connecting the free ends of said transversely extending spring wires along each said first-mentioned longitudinally extending wire, at least one of said longitudinally extending wires comprising an elastomeric material and having a solid cross section.
 2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said elastomeric material comprises polyurethane.
 3. The combination set forth in claim 1 including a frame comprising spaced rails, at least one of said rails having means thereon interengaging said elastomeric wire, said means comprising hooks on said rails engaging said elastomeric wire.
 4. The combination set forth in claim 1 including a spring subassembly comprising at least three longitudinally extending wires, a plurality of transversely extending spaced spring wires, portions of said transversely extending spaced spring wires being wound around one of said longitudinally extending wires and extending from said one longitudinally extending wire at an angle, the free ends of said transversely extending spring wires being connected to said other longitudinally extending wires, means connecting said spring subassembly to said spring assembly with said longitudinally extending wires of said subassembly extending transversely to said longitudinaLly extending wires of said spring assembly.
 5. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein said additional longitudinally extending wires of said spring assembly are connected to one of said longitudinally extending wires of said spring subassembly.
 6. The combination set forth in claim 4 including a body of foam plastic material, said spring assembly and said spring subassembly being embedded in said body.
 7. In a seat construction, a spring assembly comprising, a pair of longitudinally extending wires, a plurality of transversely extending spaced spring wires, portions of said transversely extending spaced spring wires being wound around said longitudinally extending wires to define an intermediate portion extending between the spaced longitudinally extending wires and connected thereto and free ends extending beyond the longitudinally extending wires at an acute angle to the intermediate portion, an additional longitudinally extending wire connecting the free ends of said transversely extending spring wires along each said first-mentioned longitudinally extending wire, a spring subassembly comprising at least three longitudinally extending wires, a plurality of transversely extending spaced spring wires, portions of said transversely extending spaced spring wires being wound around one of said longitudinally extending wires and extending from said one longitudinally extending wire at an angle, the free ends of said transversely extending spring wires being connected to said other longitudinally extending wires, means connecting said spring subassembly to said spring assembly with said longitudinally extending wires of said subassembly extending transversely to said longitudinally extending wires of said spring assembly.
 8. The combination set forth in claim 7 including a body of foam plastic material, said spring assembly and said spring subassembly being embedded in said body.
 9. In a spring assembly, the combination comprising at least three longitudinally extending wires, a plurality of transversely extending spaced spring wires, portions of said transversely extending spaced spring wires being wound around one of said longitudinally extending wires and having a free end connected to the other longitudinally extending wires.
 10. The combination set forth in claim 9 wherein at least one of said wires comprises elastomeric material and has a solid cross section.
 11. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein said elastomeric material comprises polyurethane. 